Car REntal at Sanford Airport - can anyone enlighten me?

[Racey]

We are picking up our rental car at Alamo when we land at Sanford airport. Do the cue's to the rental desk (ie to sort out doc's etc) take very long? We arrive at about 6pm at the end of the month

We hired from Orlando airport last time we went and was in a cue for at least 2 and half hours. It was terrible!!

Any advice would be appreciated as were meeting someone out there and would like to tell them what sort of time to expect us at theirs?

Thanks in advance

 

[ziggybaby]

We are picking up our rental car at Alamo when we land at Sanford airport. Do the cue's to the rental desk (ie to sort out doc's etc) take very long? We arrive at about 6pm at the end of the month

We hired from Orlando airport last time we went and was in a cue for at least 2 and half hours. It was terrible!!

Any advice would be appreciated as were meeting someone out there and would like to tell them what sort of time to expect us at theirs?

Thanks in advance

We're in the same boat, help would be appreciated ​

 

[Groovee]

I'd check the sanford flight schedule on the day you are due to fly. My friend flew in to sanford and it was 2 and a half hours before they got their car as 3 flights had landed at once. Yet another time they were off the plane, through immigration and in their car within 25 minutes as they were the only flight to land.

Having looked last week there were 4 flights due around similar times and 2 landed at once so it would be busy then and then a wee while later the 3rd flight landed before the 4th one never arrived in the time I watched the landings.

 

[Racey]

Excellent - thanks for the tip Groovee - will do that now

 

[wayneg]

Can't you change to Dollar? Alamo are the worst car rental company to deal with IMHO. Dollar has a program called Dollar express, register online free and even if there is a 2 hour line you just walk up to the front(I did at Easter )
If you are stuck with Alamo see if they have a similar program, I know they have an online check in, see if you can use that. http://www.alamo.com/alamoctx/hotDealsTemplate.do?msg=online_checkin_splash

 

[Goofyish]

Not sure if you can do this at Sanford - but you could have one person pick up the cases from baggage claim, while the driver goes to get the car sorted

 

[Groovee]

Can't you change to Dollar? Alamo are the worst car rental company to deal with IMHO. Dollar has a program called Dollar express, register online free and even if there is a 2 hour line you just walk up to the front(I did at Easter )
If you are stuck with Alamo see if they have a similar program, I know they have an online check in, see if you can use that. http://www.alamo.com/alamoctx/hotDealsTemplate.do?msg=online_checkin_splash

We've never had a problem with Alamo yet Dollar, that's a whole different story.

 

[wayneg]

We've never had a problem with Alamo yet Dollar, that's a whole different story.

We all have fav's, I have used Dollar 15 times never a problem, Alamo once and was a nightmare, ruined first 2 days of an 11 night holiday waiting for them to get a car that we had booked 8 months in advance . We tend to slate companies after 1 problem when there is so much choice there.
If I had waited 2 and half hours for a car I would not use them again though.

 

[Groovee]

to slate companies after 1 problem when there is so much choice there.
If I had waited 2 and half hours for a car I would not use them again though.

Well it was Dollar my friend was stuck at for 2 and a half hours. Funny she's not used them since and flown straight to sarasota now.

If all the companies are busy then there's not much we can do but demand the air companies fly in an hour apart We've had 2 bad experiences with Airtours and their services but for some odd reason I have booked them again. Lets see if it's 3rd time lucky.

 

[Boss Hogg]

If you are stuck with Alamo see if they have a similar program, I know they have an online check in

Alamo, have a system called Direct to Road (or DirectRoad), whereby you give them all of your details ahead of getting to the airport (think it needs to be at least 7 days in advance) and it speeds up your time at the desk, as with Dollar Express they have a seperate queue for this.

We've always used Dollar and Alamo, and had good and bad from both. Do like the fact that with Alamo you can pick your own car. That having been said we're using Hertz in August as we can get a Navigator for an absolute steal!

 

[Hilary]

We've always used Dollar and Alamo, and had good and bad from both. Do like the fact that with Alamo you can pick your own car.

Ditto

Are you taking a car that's part of a package? If so, then it's likely that most of your flight will have the same car hire arrangements, and you may have a wait - but the Alamo DirectRoad system should help.

If you've arranged your own car separately, then try to find out which company the package deal people on your flight will be using (i.e. if it's Thomson, it's likely to be Alamo) and then choose someone else!

 

[Lobey]

I've used the Alamo DirectRoad system at MCO before. It didn't speed up time at the counter as they simply asked again for all the information I provided when I registered. However, because they had a seperate queue for DirectRoad customers overall I saved a lot of time.

However, this time we're flying in to SFB and, as far as I know, Sanford doesn't have a seperate DirectRoad counter so I don't really expect anymajor time savings...

 

[Racey]

i've bought and paid for my Alamo now. I havent bought a package deal, but the agent I have booked through said they had so many problems with Dollar that they now use Alamo.

Last time we went to Orlando Int'l we used alamo and apart from the wait there was no reason to moan. Oh well, its all done now and if we have to wait then so be it

 

[Racey]

NOT HAPPY!!!

just phoned my agent to ask about this direct road thing. At first she said "we used Dollar", then she come back on the phone and said we have Budjet.

I've just been on sanford site and they say Budget are off site rental???!!!!

dont know whats going on now

 

[wayneg]

This is exactly why I dont use the phone for anything. Out of 17 trips to US never phoned anyone yet, everything online and printed off.
Book everything myself, only time I used a local agent was when we had the Alamo rental that went wrong and the agent was useless.
I know some agents are good but I prefer to do it all myself.
Last agent I spoke to I asked about flights to Disneyland CA. she started giving me info on Florida, did not know there was a Disney in CA.
Dont you have any paperwork on your rental?

 

[powerranger]

Last October we arrived in Sanford about 1400hrs, a few other flights arrived about the same time too, went over to Alamo and there wasn't a queue,

 

[mattnkatsmum]

I'm travelling on an Airtours flight who favour Dollar so I have booked with Alamo using the logic suggested earlier.

The last time I flew into Sanford, I wasn't overly impressed with Dollar (a fairly long queue; some serious upgrade hard sell; and no choice of car) so I thought I'd give Alamo a whirl. We fly in 4 weeks so I'll report back on my return.

 

[Groovee]

I'm travelling on an Airtours flight who favour Dollar so I have booked with Alamo using the logic suggested earlier.

That's strange as they booked me with Alamo.

 

[wayneg]

I'm travelling on an Airtours flight who favour Dollar so I have booked with Alamo using the logic suggested earlier.

The last time I flew into Sanford, I wasn't overly impressed with Dollar (a fairly long queue; some serious upgrade hard sell; and no choice of car) so I thought I'd give Alamo a whirl. We fly in 4 weeks so I'll report back on my return.

Dollar hard sell for upgrades is nothing to Alamo's attempt with us, they even told us the car we had prebooked only just passes minumum roadworthy tests and we would be better in something bigger.

Lines with Dollar should not be a problem, just register with Dollar express, anyone can do it, Since I registered and used the Express card they have not even tried to sell me upgrade. I book fullsize car with platinum insurance. Both times with express had free upgrades to Luxury car (Chrysler 300), they never even told me about upgrades, just got out to car and they have been luxury class.

If you want to choose a car I guess Alamo is the one to choose, I dont care what car it is, never had a bad car over there, they all have aircon thats all I am bothered about.

Good luck with Alamo

 

[Racey]

i dont believe this :angry: got my booking documents through today and they are alamo.

Think i'll just give alamo a ring to confirm they are definitely booked because i certainly cant trust the people i booked through!